Buildings formed of recycled intermodal shipping containers, sometimes called sea containers, are known. However they have not seen mainstream adoption due to inherent limitations with the use of these containers. It is believed that such buildings are currently based on the premise of taking one or more shipping containers (generally used) and modifying them, such as by removal of side walls and/or end wall or end doors according to the design of the building.
A typical shipping container has standard dimensions: 8 feet wide (2.44 m), 20 feet (6.06 m) or 40 feet (12.19 m) long, and 8 feet 6 inches (2.59 m) high. An alternative type, a High-cube (HQ) container is 9 feet 6 inches (2.9 m) high. Containers of 10 feet 3 inches (3.12 m) are also known. These containers are designed for carriage on a ship stacked one on top of another and include a steel casting on each of the eight corners, pairs of which are welded to either end of each of the four corner posts of a rectangular parallelepiped steel frame. Attached to the frame are side walls, and a roof generally formed of a flat or corrugated sheet of weather resistant steel or aluminium and have hinged double doors on at least one end.
For use in a building, shipping containers require extensive modification, such as cutting through or removal of the side walls, to be suited for use in a building so as to allow windows, side entry or a different form of doorway. Further they are limited to a width of 2.44 m and a length of 6.06 m or 12.19 m, which in turn limits room sizes to fit within these dimensions.
It is with this background that the present invention has been developed.
Reference to prior art documents is not an admission that they form part of the common general knowledge of a skilled person in any jurisdiction.